Robert McWhir Archives - thespyinthestalls.com

★★★

“The production’s saving grace is Markus Sodergren’s performance”

Revues can be hard to pull off, but Marry Me A Little feels confused and somewhat directionless.

The performance is a series of Sondheim songs, pulled from other musicals, which are knitted together to tell the story of two lonely singles.

The plot, as it is, is vague and hard to follow. It isn’t clear if the two characters are acquainted, and there is no interaction between performers. This seems a particular shame as it would’ve varied the tone and allowed a different dynamic to build. The director, Robert McWhir, has set the performance in modern day, but all that seems to entail is several moments where the characters stare at their phones, and one excellent moment where the stabbing of a microwave meal sleeve is incorporated into the rhythm of the song.

The production’s saving grace is Markus Sodergren’s performance. Both Sodergren and Shelley Rivers are strong, and it is an impressive feat to be non-stop singing for an hour. However, Sodergren is a real standout. He is passionate and funny, and while it is hard to follow why his emotions are what they are, he plays them with vigour.

David Shields’ set paints a clear picture of the apartment(s) and utilises a fairly small space in a clever and compact way. Though ideally his costumes would’ve given us more understanding of the characters. Richard Lambert’s lighting design is naturalistic, and does well to transport the audience to the inside of this apartment.

This is the first production at the new Stage Door Theatre, the first (and only) pop up pub theatre in the West End. The space is intimate and convivial, the audience is seated at individual tables and there is the option of a meal before the show. To choose this revue as a first production, setting the tone for what this theatre will be, feels like a strikingly odd choice. It will be interesting to see how the season progresses.

Tickle: The Musical

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed – 16th October 2019

★★★★

“the full-on Las Vegas style finale, ‘What Would Julie Andrews Do?’ sends the audience out into the night on a whoosh of feathers, fantasy and fun”

Tickle is based on a true story, and invites the audience into the strange world of competitive endurance tickling. Best friends Chris and Callum, skint and stuck in a boring town, get recruited as a tickle team by savvy businesswoman Davina Diamond, on behalf of her boss Tina Tickle. They quickly rise to the very top and are making more money than they could have dreamed of, but neither the tickling world, nor their friendship, is as straightforward as it seems. Chris Burgess (book, music and lyrics) has fashioned a delightful and playfully sexy new musical from this tale, and his four strong cast, directed by Robert McWhir, and with fabulous piano accompaniment from musical director David Eaton, do him proud.

The show’s opening number – Drab Town – is let down by its choreography, which lacks clarity, but we get a taster of James McDowell’s lovely voice, which only opens out more as the show goes on. This is McDowell’s professional musical debut, and we will most assuredly be hearing more from him. He doesn’t quite convince as a working class lad, however, and as his voice becomes richer and stronger, so his accent morphs back into his native tones. His performance becomes more natural as a result, but his character – Chris – seems to have entirely changed. This lack of consistency doesn’t really matter in the context of this light-hearted musical confection, but is something to watch. Ben Brooker, as Callum, on the other hand, is fully believable throughout, as Chris’ lovelorn best friend, but his vocal strength is inconsistent, and he doesn’t always fully hit his musical mark.

Amy Sutton is terrific as Davina, and owns the stage with sparkling charisma and a powerful, clear singing voice. Her introductory solo – the splendidly funny ‘It’s not Gay’ – gives the show the injection of oomph it needs, and allows it to drive forwards with energy and chutzpah. In this, she is aided and abetted by Rich Watkins, who is a marvellous drag Tina Tickle. Tina is a larger than life, tragi-comic creation, switching between poignant loneliness and battle-axe camp, with more than a whiff of Norma Desmond, and Watkins plays her with delicious performative relish. Tina and Davina are a formidable team, though, again, they are let down by clunky choreography, noticeable especially in their duet, ‘The Tickle Twosome’.

For the most part, the show zips along, and wears its combination of titillation, tenderness and tinsel with aplomb. There are laughs aplenty, and the full-on Las Vegas style finale, ‘What Would Julie Andrews Do?’ sends the audience out into the night on a whoosh of feathers, fantasy and fun. Just perfect to tickle your fancy on a chilly October night.

MARRY ME A LITTLE at the Stage Door Theatre

★★★

“The production’s saving grace is Markus Sodergren’s performance”

MARRY ME A LITTLE at the Stage Door Theatre

Reviewed on 1st March

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by Peter Davies

Top shows reviewed in February 2024:

MARRY ME A LITTLE

MARRY ME A LITTLE

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed – 16th October 2019

★★★★

“the full-on Las Vegas style finale, ‘What Would Julie Andrews Do?’ sends the audience out into the night on a whoosh of feathers, fantasy and fun”

Reviewed by Rebecca Crankshaw

Photography by Peter H Davies

Tickle: The Musical

King’s Head Theatre until 26th October

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue: